The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday
by hermionesmydawg
Summary: "Sam Hanna's mother once said of him: Sam doesn't do anything without a purpose." The story of Sam Hanna, with mentions of all the other team members.


Note: This story is meant to be read as somebody telling the story of the life of Sam Hanna. There are mentions of all the other characters on NCIS:LA. There is a character death, but not a major character on the show.

I don't own him or the show.

* * *

Sam Hanna's mother once said of him: Sam doesn't do anything without a purpose. Even as a young toddler, Sam never babbled. When he finally spoke, it was for a reason. His first word was "bye"; his second was "no"; and his first sentence was "I love you".

As a kid growing up in Brooklyn, Sam learned how to be tough and stand up for himself. He was bigger than most of the other kids, and tougher too, but was as gentle as a lamb. But one day on the playground, the class bully called him a nancy boy and then pulled up the dress of his friend Lisa. Sam punched him so hard he broke the kids nose.

* * *

As an adolescent, Sam started to play sports, specifically football. He was a great wide receiver, with excellent hands and perimeter blocking. He was so tough that the defense wouldn't even cover his side of the field. But he wasn't just a jock: he was also a Mathlete and a member of the Chess Club. Nobody dared make fun of him for it though.

Sam's father always said he had two sources of pride and joy: his children and his Dodge Challenger. It was the most beautiful car Sam had ever seen. He couldn't keep his hands off of the car, even though he knew it'd be years before he'd ever be able to drive it.

"This is going to be your car one day, son. So take good care of it." So Sam washed the car for his father every weekend, even in the winter. His father made it a point to take him for a ride every week, just to spend time together. "This is more than a car, Sam. We're making memories."

Sam took the Challenger on his first real date, a girl named Charlene. He would always refer to the car by that name after that night.

While Sam was away touring prospective colleges, he got a phone call: his father had been killed in an armed robbery gone bad. He had tried to play the hero and paid for it with his life. Sam came home to bury his father, and Charlene became his to take care of.

* * *

After his father's death, Sam joined the Navy SEALs. He always had a feeling that he wanted to join the military, but pushed it aside. But now more than ever, he felt like his life had a purpose, and that was to serve and protect his country. He was an excellent SEAL; strong, determined, unflappable.

He fought his way out of many dangerous situations and saved hundreds of lives. But he couldn't save the life of his friend and fellow SEAL, Dickerson, in Bosnia. They were buried alive, but not before Dickerson was shot. Sam had to watch his friend die in those close quarters underground, and never got over it. He added being buried alive to the very short list of things he was afraid of.

* * *

After Sam stopped serving as a SEAL (you never truly stop being one), he decided to serve his country as a federal agent. As it turns out, he was good at that too. At first he was too trusting; he could never believe that Americans, and especially members of the military, could do the horrible things they were accused of. But reality sunk in, and he began to accept it as part of the job. But it was a part of the job that he didn't like.

He was assigned to a joint task force with the CIA after he had shown himself to be very good at undercover operations. Many agents and officers were working to bring down a Russian arms dealer, Isaak Sidorov; and many agents and officers died tried to infiltrate his ring. One stood out however; Michelle was carefree and fearless. Sam was drawn to her immediately. Sidorov was also quite taken with her alter ego Quinn, and allowed her into his circle of trusted colleagues.

One day Michelle was reckless with her assignment and almost got made by one of Sidorov's goons. She had to kill him, and told Sidorov that he she caught him providing information to "some government cop." Isaak beamed at the loyalty of his assassin, but Sam was furious.

"How could you be so careless with your life like that?" Sam questioned, visibly shaken.

"Take it easy, Sam. It all worked itself out."

"But what about the next time? You are too valuable to keep doing this!"

"Valuable to who, Sam? The team?" Michelle confronted him. "Or you?"

* * *

After the task force was disbanded due to funding and a lack of hard evidence, Sam asked Michelle to marry him. She said yes, but told him she would always be herself first, and Mrs. Sam Hanna second. When she gave birth to their first daughter, Makayla, she changed her tune: she was a mother first, herself second, and Mrs. Sam Hanna third.

While she was pregnant with their second child, Sam's undercover identity was compromised and his target showed up at their house looking for him. Michelle shot and killed him. She explained to the police that the man was robbing them and she was just defending herself and her child. After that, Sam swore he would perfect his tradecraft. He would never tell the true details about his family to anyone again, would never visit the same place twice, and would move every two years. But Michelle told him she wasn't going to move that often, that a family needed to have roots and stability. He agreed.

* * *

The last time Sam and Michelle moved, it was to Los Angeles. Sam had accepted a job offer at the Office of Special Projects, or OSP, an elite unit of NCIS specializing in undercover work and counter-terrorism efforts. He became partners with G Callen, the Senior Field Agent of the team he would be working on. Everybody just called him Callen, but Sam wasn't satisfied with that.

"So what's the G stand for anyway?" he asked one day in the car.

"Dunno," was all Callen said in response.

Sam looked at the man, intrigued. "Do you even want to know?"

"Maybe I'll find out some day."

Sam didn't expect it, but they grew to be best friends. They grew to be brothers.

* * *

The OSP unit kept growing and adding new agents every year. His team gained Kensi Blye, who was beautiful and badass and damaged. They also gained Dominic Vail, who he took under his wing and mentored. But like so many agents before him, Dom met an unfortunate end; one that Sam never forgave himself for. Dom's replacement was a cheeky LAPD Liaison, Marty Deeks. Deeks, as they called him, was non-traditional and Sam had trouble accepting him.

But as a unit, they all worked well together. With the help of analysts Eric Beale and Nell Jones, the team was almost unstoppable. Their Operations Manager Hetty Lange, who was a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, had the utmost faith in the team. She had almost too much faith in them at times.

When Isaak Sidorov reared his ugly head again, this time in possession of nuclear weapons, Sam had to deal with something he had been dreading for years: Michelle returning to the field. Sam lashed out at his teammates, especially Deeks when he was forced to work with him instead of Callen.

"Are you saying this is about my character?" Deeks asked angrily.

"Something like that," Sam responded.

But Sam gladly ate his words after Deeks refused to give up Michelle's identity after he and Sam were captured and tortured. Sidorov was killed, the nukes were recovered, and the world was saved. Deeks was damaged, mentally, after the mission, but recovered. Sam treated him with respect after the trauma they'd endured together; they grew to be close. Sam had his own scars from his torture too, but never showed them. He was strong, after all. He was a SEAL.

* * *

Many years later, when their girls were teenagers, Michelle sat Sam down with a grave look on her face.

"I'm sick."

Sam shook his head, closing his eyes. "We can fight this."

Michelle fought hard for two years, but the cancer finally won. She at least got to see her baby graduate from high school before she passed. Sam didn't speak to anyone until her funeral, where he gave her eulogy. "I always knew the only thing strong enough to beat Michelle, was Michelle. Nothing else could ever take her down." He could see Deeks and Kensi in the audience, him holding her so close to his body that they could have shared a chair. Callen pulled him into an embrace after the eulogy and didn't let him go.

* * *

After Michelle's death, Sam decided he couldn't be a field agent anymore. He couldn't risk his life unnecessarily and leave his two girls all alone. He became a shell of his former self; instead of cheerful and giving, he was secluded and angry. The girls were off at college, and he was alone.

But Callen wouldn't allow his friend to fall completely. He showed up on his doorstep one day with a sleeping bag and a duffel bag.

"What do you think you're doing, G?"

Callen shrugged. "It felt like time to move again."

* * *

Several years after graduating from college, Makayla met a nice young man named Martin, a first generation American and Marine. When they decided to get married, they had an outdoor spring wedding, and Makayla let Sam invite anyone he wanted. Hetty was old and gray but showed up in a fabulous pantsuit, still driving her Jaguar. Nell and Eric showed up together, much to Sam's pleasure. Deep down he was always rooting for those two. Deeks and Kensi arrived with two young children in tow. Sam joked with Kensi, "I thought you hated kids." She replied, "But I love my kids."

The wedding was beautiful, and Sam was so proud to walk his daughter down the aisle. He kissed her cheek and told her she looked just like her mother.

* * *

Sam and Callen lived out their golden years together. "Maybe we are an old married couple," Callen opined one day.

"No way, G. I got better taste than that."

Callen balked at him, "Hey, I'm a catch!"

"More like I'm gonna catch something from you."

"That hurts big guy."

Sam smiled at his best friend. "You know you saved my life, G."

"I've saved your life at least 100 times, Sam." Callen joked but gave him an understanding look.

"Then I must have saved yours 101 times," Sam countered.

"Call it even?"

"Yeah, we're even."

When Sam reflected on his life, he knew he had no regrets. He had served his country. He had loved those close to him with his whole heart. He saved thousands of lives. He had served his purpose.


End file.
